Ideas On Auxiliary Heating Systems, Using Headers but Want Heat! Options

[MikeInMunich]

Greetings once again from Munich!

It’s cold over here when the sun goes down, not to mention nice days in March, April, October and November. I need heat, and I don’t have it because my engine has headers.

I am thinking I will need a high output alternator if I’m using only 12v in order to get the necessary output.

Is this somehow a bad idea? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Questions:

How would a e.g. 50 amp alternator affect power and gas mileage?

Would it have any effect on the electrical system?

Can you recommend a heater for this application?

Other suggestions on how to best get heat into the cabin without heat exchangers?

Here is an article on PTC (positive thermal coefficient) heaters...

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.10...-11628-5_51.pdf

Thanks for your feedback and advice!

Mike in Munich
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_flagge6.gif)

[Mblizzard]

While you lose some of the instant heat, I would go with the oil as a heat source. While that can become complex an inexpensive sandwich plate with the oil routed to 2 round oil coolers small enough to fit in heater tubes. Not sure of the heater tube ID but on a quick search found the coolers down to 3-inch in diameter.3-inch PVC has Id of 3.068 inches. Oil cooler approximately $33 in cost.




Make a cap to fit the ¼-inch oil lines through and 2-1/4 inches square and 1-inch thick 12-volt fans that slides over the heater tubes. 2-fans are about $60. Of course, with a little work and flexible tubing you could use the stock fan as well.



Not sure how much heat would be generated from the surface area but depending on how much could be placed inside the heater (found them in 12, 15, and 18 inch lengths) they should be capable of putting out a lot of heat.
Wire the on for the fans to the heater lever via a relay and you’re done.

Of course, variable speed fans would give you more control of the heat but his should be easy to do. As another option if the oil cooler won’t fit inside the tubes or you did not want to buy 2 oil coolers you could use one cooler inside a tube external to the heater tubes with flexible hoses running to each heater tube. Could also work with stock fan.

[Dave_Darling]

While you lose some of the instant heat, I would go with the oil as a heat source.

Or you could go with something that costs even less and works almost exactly as well:

-Nothing at all.

--DD

[Mblizzard]

While you lose some of the instant heat, I would go with the oil as a heat source.

Or you could go with something that costs even less and works almost exactly as well:

-Nothing at all.

--DD

OK so I am not sure I see a connection. Are you saying you cant get sufficient heat from engine oil?

Quick calculation indicates that a small oil cooler with just 1 meter of surface area could transfer almost 900 watts of heat if the oil was at 180 and the outside temp was 30F.